12. The Transformer.
(Lower Utã'mqt.)
(cont.)He passed by the people he saw praying, and proceeded to the next band up the river. Here he came upon a man who was engaged in grinding to ' a point a stone about six inches in length, probably a stone knife or dagger. He asked the man what he was doing; and the latter, not knowing him, answered, "I am making a weapon to kill Transformer with when he appears." Transformer said, "It looks very nice. Let me see it!" After looking at it, he said, "You ought to have this on your head." At the same time he pushed it against one side of the man's head, and the man became transformed into a deer with antlers. Then he drove him away, and said to him, "You shall never again make weapons to kill any person with."
The Transformer continued on his way, and, reaching a point about one mile west of Yale, he saw a man with a dog chasing an elk on the south side of the river. The elk took to the stream, and had almost crossed to the northern bank when he transformed all three into stones, which may be seen to this day. The place where this happened is called Ntêtlixa'tkoûs stexa'ts ("where the elk stands in the water''). When he arrived near the borders of the Uta'mqt country, at the canyon known as Tsaxali's, he saw people on the opposite bank of the river who were catching salmon with their hands. In places where the rocks were high, they suspended boys by holding their feet. When the boys caught a fish with their hands, they pulled the boys and fish up together. They did not seem to be able to catch many in this manner. The Transformer was sorry for these people, and said to himself, "They have no fishing-utensils, I will try to help them.' So he sat down and began to think. There was a rock in front of him, and he scratched it with his finger-nails. With each scratch a thought came into the heads of the people, and they gained knowledge. After the first scratch, they said to one another, " Let us make twine!" After the next, they said, "Let us make nets!" and so on with each scratch until they had obtained the whole knowledge of catching and curing salmon as the Indians do at the present day. After the people had learned everything, and had begun to catch fish in the proper way, he showed them all the best places for the purpose; and the Indians have always used these fishing-places or stations since that time.
When the Transformer arrived near a place a few miles above Yale, called E'am1, he met a man of large stature, whose feet sank in the rocks as he walked. He changed him into a stone, which may be seen a little east of that place. This man's foot-prints, and also the scratches in the rock which the Transformer made when teaching the people how to fish, may be seen at the present day.
1 Said to be three miles and a half above Yale.